Introduction
The Qatar University’s College of Medicine (CMED) is a medical, and educational facility that opened in 2015. Currently, the organization provides two options for its students, including a six-year Medical Doctor (MD) and a four-year Ph.D. program (“About the curriculum,” n.d.; “Learning approach,” n.d.). The primary goal of the curriculums is to train not only highly skilled but also caring and empathetic doctors (Hijleh, n.d.). Both programs’ curriculums require fluent English alongside high requirements in the form of either GPA scores (MD) or three recommendation letters (Ph.D.) (“Student recruitment and academic support,” n.d.). The curriculum presents many options for specialization directions in both programs.
The CMED MD curriculum provides both in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge throughout its course. It presents a student-centered approach that is focused on the principles of integrated, competency-based, team-based, case-based, problem-based, and virtual patient learning (“Learning approach,” n.d.). The European credit transfer system (ECTS) is used to calculate students’ workload starting from the second year (“Study plan,” n.d.-2). The Ph.D. program gives a choice of courses, including research studies’ design, ethical issues, and special topics in clinical research (“Study plan,” n.d.-1). Students are encouraged to make autonomous decisions in simulated environments to develop critical thinking skills and seek information outside of outside sources (“Learning approach,” n.d.). The learning outcomes in both programs are strictly controlled by the College’s administration.
Studying Phases
The educational process at CMED is divided into 3 phases. The first year is a phase for a transition that gives students basic medical knowledge (“Clinical education,” n.d.). The second phase (2.5 years) is a pre-clerkship stage that explores less broad topics while focusing on clinical skills for standard procedures (“Clinical education,” n.d.). The third phase is clerkship which takes 2.5 years in rural hospitals and focuses on in-depth topics, such as pediatrics, surgeries, family health, and other subjects (“Clinical education,” n.d.). The Ph.D. program’s studying phases are divided into general core, specific for the selected discipline, and elective courses only (“Study plan,” n.d.-1). In addition to the stated phases, the CMED temporarily edited its curriculums to allow distance learning due to COVID-19 lockdowns (Paravattil et al., 2021). Students are ensured to receive the most accurate knowledge from the courses’ continued advancements.
Clinical Placements
Training and clinical placements for CMED students are conducted at numerous facilities affiliated with the College. They include Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary HealthCare Centers, and Sidra Medicine hospital (“Clinical placements,” n.d.). Hamad Medical Corporation provides students with practical experience through access to its rural hospitals (“Frequently asked questions for candidates applying for HMC residency programs,” n.d.). Cooperation between CMED with Primary HealthCare Centers and the Sidra Medicine hospital gives additional practice sites for students.
References
About the curriculum. (n.d.). Qatar University. Web.
Clinical education. (n.d.). Qatar University. Web.
Clinical placements. (n.d.). Qatar University. Web.
Frequently asked questions for candidates applying for HMC residency programs. (n.d.). Hamad Medical Corporation. Web.
Hijleh, M. A. (n.d.). Dean’s message. Qatar University. Web.
Learning approach. (n.d.). Qatar University. Web.
Paravattil, B., Zolezzi, M., Carr, A. S., & Al-Moslih, A. (2021). Reshaping experiential education within Qatar University’s health programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qatar Medical Journal, 2021(1). Web.
Student recruitment and academic support. (n.d.). Qatar University. Web.
Study plan. (n.d.-1). Qatar University. Web.
Study plan. (n.d.-2). Qatar University. Web.